Rough Beauty
Rough Beauty was a project begun in 2003 and published in 2006. Simply stated Rough Beauty is meant to be a photographic documentation of
In my humble opinion, this collection of Dave Anderson’s work is not ground breaking, or earth shattering. This is the kind of work that should have and probably would have disappeared into oblivion if not for all the controversial racial underpinnings. I’m not saying that it’s bad work – it’s not bad, it’s just not new. I suppose one could beg the question ‘Does originality exist?’ Personally, I believe originality does exist and significant work should contain a degree of originality. Rough Beauty is an emulation of Keith Carter and Diane Arbus – and while emulation is acceptable for a student, I feel there comes a time when a professional photographer should make their own mark.
Vidor is only a short distance from where I live. Controversy has surrounded this body of work since its release. I have found the issues raised by the work far more interesting than the work itself. That said, however, not every issue is interesting. Take the issue of racism, for instance…. Yes, this area has had a history of racism, but there have been issues of racism in every part of this country. I raise the question: why
I find the ethical dilemmas raised by this work to be the most fascinating issues. He included statements made by the people he photographed. Quotes such as “I was born down thataway ‘bout a mile in a little log cabin. My dad built it with crosscut saws and they put mud in the cracks.” or “We threw grass on the chicken’s grave and were like ‘Why’d he have to die?’” or “I been having to look for a job for a long time.” illuminate the lives of his subjects. My concern here is 
Labels: Dave Anderson, Rough Beauty, Texas, Vidor
posted by Amy G @ 9:12 PM
6 Comments:
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students publicly burning bridges...now that's a wise idea. good luck with your career!
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Megan and Amy, thank you for your thoughtful approach. Having just come from a 4-day portfolio review, I know exactly how hard it is to articulate in a constructive manner what you don't respond to in a body of work. Amy, I wonder if you could speak to the idea of an insider versus outsider point of view--i.e. if this artist were from Texas would you see the work differently vis a vis a comment on race? Your concern with originality is a challenge for many artists; I am also interested in the idea of authenticity and how that does or does not affect our perception of the resultant photograph.
Southerners are always complaining that people photographing the South never cover all the bases. Ridiculous. If this man had nothing original to say (to which, I disagree completely; the majority of his images have emotional impact on me which transcends emulation) then why would his view of Vidor be so specific?
Every photographer approaches with a bias, and selectively. Your knowledge of the "moretoit" doesn't exactly mean the work isn't legit, right?
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